Crofton Anne Dale Infant School Review 2026: Outdoor-first early years, clear routines, strong wraparound

Infant schools do not sit GCSEs or A-levels, and this setting is not shown as ranked for the primary outcomes measures provided. As a result, the most meaningful public indicators are curriculum quality and inspection outcomes rather than league-style performance tables.

The February 2022 inspection judged overall effectiveness as Good, with Good grades also recorded for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The same report notes that the previous inspection grade under an older framework was Outstanding, and it explains that a long gap between full inspections applied during the period when some schools were exempt from routine inspection.

For parents, the practical implication is this: the school’s quality picture is best understood through how reading is taught, how pupils are supported when they fall behind, and how behaviour is managed day to day, rather than by headline percentages that are not published consistently for an infant phase.

Reading sits at the centre of the learning model. The February 2022 inspection evidence points to well-trained staff delivering phonics, with a consistent programme that helps children in Reception learn early decoding quickly, and daily adult reading to pupils to build enjoyment as well as skill.

Mathematics is described as carefully developed, including attention to fluency and reasoning. The same report also flags that, at the time, staff were not always clear about how to use practical examples as effectively as they could, which is worth noting because in an infant context, concrete representation is often the difference between surface confidence and real understanding.

Beyond English and maths, curriculum design is described as intentional, including topic work framed through “big questions”. This approach tends to suit pupils who learn best through themes and stories, and it can help teachers connect vocabulary, background knowledge and talk across subjects.

SEND support is referenced in inspection evidence as being planned so that pupils with SEND are supported to keep up with peers, including when pupils have fallen behind in reading. For families navigating additional needs, the key takeaway is that support is described as embedded in everyday teaching, not bolted on as an afterthought.

As an infant school, the main “destination” question is what happens after Year 2. Official inspection documentation states that the school is in a federation with a junior school on the same site. In practice, that typically enables a continuity of routines, behaviour expectations and learning language as pupils move into Key Stage 2, which can make transition calmer for many children.

It is still sensible for families to check the practicalities of Year 3 transfer arrangements and any published admissions policies for junior entry, especially if moving into the area partway through the primary years. The federation publishes admissions policy documents for multiple years, including a 2026 to 2027 policy set.

Reception entry is coordinated through Hampshire County Council. The school’s admissions page for September 2026 entry sets out specific dates: applications opened on 01 November 2025, the on-time deadline was 15 January 2026, and the national notification date is 16 April 2026.

Demand is real. In the most recently recorded cycle provided, there were 118 applications for 60 offers, indicating an oversubscribed picture overall. A separate measure suggests that first-preference demand was higher than available first-preference offers. (These figures are useful for understanding competition, but families should still focus on published admissions criteria and the broader pattern of local demand.)

Open sessions for Reception are advertised as a set of dates in autumn and early winter, and the school states that booking is not required for those sessions. If you are planning for a later year, treat those months as the typical window and check the current calendar closer to the time.

A practical tip: if you are weighing multiple local schools, FindMySchoolMap Search can help you sanity-check travel time and day-to-day logistics alongside admissions rules, which is often what makes the difference at infant age.

The strongest pastoral signals come from consistent routines and early intervention. The February 2022 inspection describes pupils feeling safe and trusting staff to resolve issues quickly, with bullying characterised as rare in pupil feedback gathered at the time. That kind of climate matters in an infant setting because a child’s willingness to talk, read aloud, or try something new is highly sensitive to emotional safety.

There is also a clear acknowledgement of service-family needs. Little Troopers Club is described as a space for infant and junior children from service families to connect, talk about deployments and access structured support, with an example trip referenced as part of the programme. For families in and around Stubbington, that may be a distinctive fit factor if the household is managing relocations or separation periods.

The federation also publishes wellbeing resources and signposting, although individual programmes vary over time. The key question for parents is not “how many initiatives exist”, but “how quickly does the school notice and respond when my child is struggling”. The evidence available supports a structured, responsive approach.

Extracurricular at infant age works best when it is specific and routine-based rather than a long menu that changes weekly. Here, named opportunities provide a clearer picture than generic “clubs”.

Little Troopers Club is one of the most distinctive examples, specifically targeted at service-family pupils and framed around peer connection and practical emotional support. The inspection evidence also references pupils taking on responsibility through student council involvement, and it highlights that clubs and activities were restarting after pandemic disruption at the time of the 2022 inspection.

Music is positioned as a meaningful strand rather than an occasional treat. The federation welcome message describes weekly class music lessons and the option of choir and recorder clubs, with a summer-term concert as a highlight (noting that some of these opportunities expand further once children are older and at the junior school). Sport is also supported through specialist coaching referenced on the same page, which tends to matter for pupils who learn best through physical activity and routine.

Trips are used to bring curriculum to life. The February 2022 inspection gives an example of a history trip to a hovercraft museum, illustrating a practical approach to building knowledge through real contexts.

The published infant school day runs 8:55am to 3:15pm, with doors opened at 8:45am and registration at 8:55am.

Wraparound care is a major practical feature. Provision runs 7:30am to 6:00pm in term time through Early Bird and Night Owl clubs, with infant sessions based in a dedicated space (Stingray Bay). Session prices are published as £5.50 for Early Bird (breakfast included) and £9.50 for Night Owl (light tea included).

For travel, the school sits in Stubbington within the Fareham area, and many families will approach daily logistics for walkability, parking pressure at drop-off and collection, and wraparound timings rather than public transport choices. Use the saved-schools shortlist feature to keep notes on timings across options, especially if you are comparing infant settings that look similar on paper.

• Competition for Reception places. The most recent the figures indicate 118 applications for 60 offers, with an oversubscribed pattern. Families should read the published admissions criteria carefully and plan early for future cycles.

• A Good judgement with clear improvement points. The February 2022 inspection judged the school Good overall, while also identifying areas to strengthen, including consistent behaviour expectations in lessons and staff subject knowledge in foundation subjects. This is not unusual, but it is relevant if you want a highly uniform experience across every class.

• Leadership structure is federated. The school operates within a federation model, with an Executive Headteacher and a Headteacher for the infant school described in official documentation. Some families like the continuity and shared systems; others prefer a single-school leadership model.

• Open sessions have a seasonal pattern. For September 2026 entry, open sessions were advertised across October to January. If you missed those dates, you will likely need to request a tour or plan ahead for the next cycle.

This is a well-organised infant school with a clear outdoor-learning identity, strong day-to-day routines, and practical wraparound care that is unusually explicit about times, spaces and pricing. The latest inspection confirms a solid Good standard across all areas, alongside specific next steps around consistency in lessons.

Best suited to families who value outdoor-rich early years, want predictable routines, and would benefit from long wraparound hours, including service families who would make real use of the Little Troopers support network. Entry remains the limiting factor, so families should plan admissions early and keep options open.